Mobile stations enable wireless communications between parties. Mobile stations may perform various functions such as transmitting/receiving a text message, accessing the Internet, enabling television viewing, photographing still or moving images and transmitting the images to another party, as well as conventional voice calling. Several types of mobile stations exist, such as bar type, flip type, folding type, and slide type.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a perspective view of a folding type mobile station 250. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a lateral section view of the folding type mobile station 250.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the folding type mobile station 250 includes a mobile station body 100, a folder 200 that is hinge-coupled to one side of the mobile station body 100, and a battery 300 mounted to the mobile station body 100.
The mobile station body 100 includes a body casing 110, a main board 120, mounted in the body casing 110 having a plurality of dome switches 121 at one side thereof and a plurality of components 122 at another side thereof. The mobile station body 100 also includes a keypad 130 having a plurality of keys K. The keypad 130 is mounted in the body casing 110 such that the keys K protrude to an upper surface of the body casing 110.
The keypad 130 includes a pad 132 with a plurality of protrusions 131 at one surface thereof and a plurality of keys K attached to another surface of thereof. The keys K include general keys K1 displaying numbers and/or characters, adjustment keys K2 displaying functions, and a multi-key K3. The general keys K1 are arranged at a lower region of the pad 132 to have rows and columns in horizontal and vertical directions, respectively, and the adjustment keys K2 and the multi-key K3 are arranged at an upper region of the pad 132. The keys K are positioned to correspond to the protrusions 131 provided at the other surface of the pad 132. Furthermore, the dome switches 121 of the main board 120 are arranged to correspond to the protrusions 131 of the keypad 130.
Key holes 111 that have shapes corresponding to shapes of the keys K are formed at an upper surface of the body casing 110. The keypad 130 protrudes from the upper surface of the body casing 110 such that the keys K are inserted into the key holes 111. The protrusions 131 of the keypad 130 respectively contact the dome switches 121 of the main board 120. The folder 200 also includes a display 210. Furthermore, reference numerals 140 and 220 denote a microphone and a speaker, respectively.
In the folding type mobile station 250, when a call is received from another party, the adjustment key K2 is pressed to execute the call. Furthermore, to initiate a call to another party, the general keys K1 are pressed to input a phone number and the adjustment key K2 is pressed to execute the call. To access the Internet or send a text message using the folding type mobile station 250, the keys K are also used.
As the size of folding type mobile station decreases, useable area where the keys K may be arranged is also decreasing. To compound the problem, more functions requiring use of the keypad are being added. As a result, multiple characters and/or functions are assigned to a single key, making for more complicated operation by the user.
In the conventional folding type mobile station 250, the plural key holes 111 are formed in the body casing 110 and the keys K are inserted through the key holes 111 of the body casing 110 to protrude to the outside of the body casing 110. Accordingly, a space exists between the key holes 111. Therefore, the number of the keys K that may be arranged on the body casing 110 is reduced. However, if the space between the key holes 111 is reduced to increase the number of the keys K, the structural integrity of the frame 112 of the body casing 110 may be weakened.